Hugh McCutcheon - Camp Director
![]() Hugh McCutcheon is in his eighth season at the helm of Golden Gopher Volleyball. Named the 2015 AVCA National Coach of the Year and 2015 Big Ten Coach of the Year, McCutcheon continues building Minnesota into a perennial powerhouse. Since arriving on campus in 2012, McCutcheon has led the Gophers to two NCAA Final Fours, two Big Ten Championships, three Sweet 16 finishes and an Elite Eight appearance in just seven years. Since arriving at Minnesota, McCutcheon enters the 2019 campaign with a 189-47 career record and a 108-32 mark in Big Ten play. McCutcheon and the Gophers are coming off a 19-1 record in Big Ten play action in 2018. The Gophers broke their school record of most wins in a conference season and longest conference win streak in program history, bettering their 15-match run in 2015. Overall, the Gophers went 27-4 in 2018 and held a Sweet 16 berth. Three individuals received All-America honors in Samantha Seliger-Swenson, Stephanie Samedy and Regan Pittman. In fact, those three also received First Team All-Big Ten honors, while Seliger-Swenson was named Big Ten Player of the Year. The 2018 calendar year also marked a special accolade as he was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame, the first New Zealander to ever be inducted into the hall. To read Hugh's full bio, click here. At a Glance:
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Laura Kasey - Lead Coach
Laura Kasey (née Benzing) is in her fifth year with the Gopher Volleyball program after joining the team in January 2015. She is in her second year as associate head coach.
Kasey helped Minnesota to the 2015 and 2018 Big Ten championships and back-to-back NCAA Final Four apprearances. Working primarily with the middle blockers, Kasey helped Hannah Tapp and Paige Tapp to All-America honors, while Hannah was named a First Team All-Big Ten selection in 2015. Under Kasey's guidance, Minnesota had three middle blockers who garnered awards in 2016. Hannah Tapp was named an All-Big Ten selection and a Second Team AVCA All-American. Molly Lohman was a Big Ten and AVCA All-America honorable mention, while Paige Tapp was an Academic All-American and All-Big Ten honorable mention. As a whole, the Gopher blockers averaged 2.71 blocks per set in 2016. In 2018, Regan Pittman was named a Second Team All-American and All-Big Ten selection, while Taylor Morgan received All-America honorable mention. To Read Coach Kasey's Full Bio, Click Here |
Matt Houk - Lead Coach
Matt Houk is in his sixth season season with Golden Gopher volleyball and second as an associate head coach. Houk comes to Minnesota after a six-tenure as the head coach at the University of South Dakota.
Houk began his Minnesota tenure in March of 2014. Since his arrival at Minnesota, Houk assisted Gopher coach Hugh McCutcheon to the 2015 and 2018 Big Ten championship and back-to-back Final Four berths. Coaching primarily the setters and defensive specialists, Houk worked with Samantha Seliger-Swenson the past four seasons. As a rookie, Seliger-Swenson went on to become the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, the AVCA North Region Freshman of the Year, a four-time All-American and the Big Ten Player of the Year. In just her sophomore season, Seliger-Swenson became the Big Ten Setter of the Year and a First Team All-American. On the defensive side, the Gophers improved from 13.66 digs per set in 2014, to 15.50 per set in 2015. He also coached CC McGraw to Freshman All-Big Ten honors and Volleyball Magazine Freshman All-America accolades. To Read Coach Houk's Full Bio, Click Here |
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